Crochet Quote: Yarn’s social value

I found today’s quote in Catherine Friend’s Sheepish, the book that I recommended earlier today. However, it’s not her words. She attributes it to Abby Franquemont of Spin-Off magazine. It’s about the social value of yarn.

“Without spinning, there is no civilization, no technology, no history, no agriculture, no animal husbandry, no permanent settlements, and the whole of human history just did not happen. Without what I’m doing now, making yarn, there is no life as we know it. Cultures lacking in textile production capability don’t generally advance beyond hunting and gathering.”

This is a really bold statement but I like that because so often crocheters and other people who work in the fiber arts today tend to downplay the value of what they do. They hang their hands and quietly say, “I craft” or “I crochet” or “I spin yarn” but often don’t boldly proclaim it for the valuable art that it is. Are you guilty of that?